Portugal full-back Nuno Mendes revealed the national team players' stance on captain Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the camp before the match against Denmark.
Nuno Mendes
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
The Portuguese national team achieved a significant victory against Denmark with a score of 4-2 in the third round of Group D matches in the UEFA Nations League.
Mendes told reporters about receiving news of Cristiano Ronaldo's departure: "As is clear, he is a player for the Portuguese national team, but we are more focused on what we need to do now, and on the next match."
He continued, "We focus only on football, on what the coach asks of us, and on being able to play on the pitch. I believe other matters are not our responsibility to decide upon."
He concluded, "We are here to welcome any player who is part of the national team, and we focus on football. What we did today was very important."
Cristiano Ronaldo left the Portugal national team camp in Denmark on Wednesday, one day before the match against Denmark in the third round of the UEFA Nations League.
The crisis began during the Portugal vs Norway match in the second round of Group D matches in the UEFA Nations League, which ended with Portugal winning 2-1, when Ronaldo did not participate in the game.
The Portuguese newspaper "O Jogo" revealed that the player decided not to return to represent the Portuguese national team again, preferring to retire internationally.
Cristiano Ronaldo has played 234 matches for the Portuguese national team, scoring 146 goals and providing 45 assists.
With the Portuguese national team, he won the European Championship once and the UEFA Nations League twice.
The Portuguese national team tops Group D with 9 points from three perfect victories.
